Brunson's 33 Powers Knicks' 135-105 Rout of Slumping Bulls

Jalen Brunson put on a first-quarter clinic as the New York Knicks dismantled the Chicago Bulls 135-105 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. Brunson scored 22 points in the opening period alone, outscoring the entire Bulls team as New York raced to a 43-21 lead after one quarter and never looked back. He finished with 33 points on 58 percent shooting, while the Knicks shot 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point range in a ruthless attacking display. By half-time the lead had swollen to 84-52, and the second half became a formality. For Chicago, the defeat was a fifth in a row, all by heavy margins, and it dropped the Bulls to 1-7 on the season. Josh Giddey managed 10 points and six assists, but the Bulls have now lost five straight by an average of 19.2 points and look a side badly in need of a spark. The Knicks, by contrast, improved to 4-4 and will take real confidence from a performance that was over as a contest almost before it had begun. Brunson's opening burst set the tone, and New York never let Chicago back into the game.